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robotslenderman · 1 year

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Top 5 pets, vampire clans and Pokemon please!

I'm gonna skip the pets one because I haven't had enough variety in pets to really make a top 5, but for the other two:

Clans:

5. Hecata

I'm not specifically interested in the Giovanni, but rather how diverse the clan of death is as a whole. Cappadocians, my beloved While I understand while they'd integrate all the death clans into one for TTRPG mechanical purposes, from a lore perspective it actually makes me really sad that that diversity is wiped out by the Family Reunion, and one reason I really like Perry from VTMOfB is that it implies some Hecata actually escaped the blandification of the clan and while they might have gained the painful bite, they continued to have their old banes.

The diversity also basically makes them the clan equivalent of the United States. Outsiders consider them to be one clan, but in reality they're multiple clans in a trench coat that present themselves as one for political purposes. I have never once met an American that said they were from America, they always said Texas, or Arizona, or New York. I like to think that if you ask a Hecata what clan they're from, they'll do the same -- they say Samedi, or a Harbinger, or Giovanni.

Their in-clan politics is probably the same too, which would be hilarious.

4. Gangrel

Yeaaaah my animal boys! The clan that appears to be independent from the outside, but is a lot more social than it lets on from the inside. I like how some clans are actually quite social (like the Hecata above, for instance), and the Gangrel are generally thought not to be. They also appeal to the Aussie in me in that they don't really believe in hierarchy; when Xaviar left the Camarilla, the rest of the Gangrel didn't mindlessly follow him, they spent years leaving, which suggests to me that every individual Gangrel made a conscious decision whether to leave or stay, and most of them decided to leave. Of course we have a few exceptions like Lettow, but for the most part Gangrel are free thinkers who aren't contrarian for the sake of being contrarian like the Brujah, but will quietly make up their own minds and follow through on that.

(And it also suggests that either Xaviar had an ego and thought himself more important than he actually was that he could leave and they'd follow, or that he was actually so in-tune with his clan that he realised once he left, many would follow in the end.)

And touching back on how they're actually much more social than we think -- Gangrel often come across as lone wolves, but they have Things: basically clan meetings/parties where they all get together and do Gangrel shit. Despite their reputation there is an aspect of a found family of sorts in there, and given their other clan traits, it's likely not out of duty, but out of choice. Gangrel who aren't interested just don't go to Things. Gangrel who are do, and those Gangrel have family connections within the clan. And "family" doesn't just mean vitae in this case -- the First Season tradition results in many Gangrel adopting each other.

I mean, I like to think that in most cases of the First Season (where a Gangrel is Embraced and then left to fend for themselves for three months to see if they're "strong enough" to survive), the sire is actually much like a mother deer in that they're nearby and keeping a close eye on their childe and making sure that they actually survive due to strength, and aren't destroyed purely by bad luck, but I also like that Gangrel are less selfish than other clans in that when they find fledglings they just take them in and raise them.

I also like the headcanon that different Gangrel behave in different ways depending on what their animal is, as if driven by that animal's instincts -- eg Gangrel whose animals have litters might Embrace several childer at once and raise them in a batch (wow, the poor sire lmao), other Gangrel might Embrace and abandon their childe right away because their animal does, but others might raise their childer one-on-one and be very involved and have relationships for the rest of their lives.

If you squiiiiiint it might even be supported by canon in a way that's not related to the Embrace. Beckett's a "lone wolf", but the lone wolf thing is actually a myth. They're pack animals. Beckett has a pack. Very few canon Kindred have genuine friends and he's the first that comes to mind. We have our Eagle Prince, Lettow. He loves to fly in a plane and his Elysium is physically high up, where he can look down on the world like a bird.

3. Ravnos

I actually don't have a Ravnos OC (despite having nearly 30 other VTM OCs) and never talk about the clan so it's probably surprise they're on this list, but I think they're so fucking cool. Master illusionists with one hell of a pain in the ass bane? That's awesome. It's so unique, it's so original. It's also a huge improvement over their racist as fuck meta history YIKES

I'm just sad that they apparently get along badly with the Gangrel (although it's hilarious that nobody knows why except the Ravnos and the Gangrel) because they seem they'd complement each other very well, but then, the Ventrue and the Lasombra complement each other too...

2. Tzimisce

I don't actually have that much to say about them, they're just such dicks and I love them, and I love how they have all this etiquette stuff explicitly because they're such dicks. They're a bunch of sadists, so they needed to have strict rules about how to interact with other Tzimisce so that they didn't start shit by turning the wrong Fiend's childe inside out or something, and boom, Tzimisce hospitality was born. I just find that so fucking funny. They might be a bunch of complete and utter assholes but they're not classless white trash, thank you very much!

Lasombra

I just fucking love these guys for two big reasons:

I'm a sucker for social Darwinists in fiction

The whole "technically they're disabled" thing, which is hilarious in light of 1.

So like. For me the Lasombra are a bit of a power fantasy -- as a kid I was emotionally neglected and sometimes outright emotionally abused. I was also neurodivergent. I was on my own. I never got taught any valuable life skills because I wasn't trusted to do shit or fuck by my parents, and other kids wanted nothing to do with me. If I was sad I had to comfort myself because I'd get a "well, what do you expect me to do about it?" or told what to do or told to get over it. When I struggled to do anything... I rarely got anywhere. I always lost. I always came last.

The Lasombra are a power fantasy in that they're in a shittier version of my childhood, where they get outright destroyed instead of eyerolls, and some of them still manage to thrive in it. I could barely scrape by, let alone win, but I was a kid in a highly social collaborative world that had no support, whereas the Lasombra are in an environment where they're expected not to have any and therefore, in a way, the playing field is more even for them because of that. The other kids were well adjusted and had advantages over me because they had parents that loved them and access to help whenever they asked, but most Lasombra share the same shitty childehoods. And they're encouraged to be mean motherfuckers like I used to fantasise about being mean to the other kids. Because I hated those kids, I resented those kids, I was jealous as fuck about those kids and I wanted them to pay for having what I didn't. In my fiction I love to channel that eleven-year-old girl in me who's bitter and angry at the world and wants to fuck it all up and make everyone else suffer so that they are forced to empathise with me in a way they chose not to.

As for the disability thing... they're Lasombra. The world is becoming increasingly reliant on technology. After thousands of years of being one of the most powerful clans in the world, of having a bane so minor that many Lasombra wouldn't have even realised it was there (mirrors were too expensive for most people to have throughout most of human history), they're going to be crippled in a matter of decades.

Fifty years ago Lasombra could do a shit ton of things they can't do today. Pretending that attendants don't exist for a moment: they can't go above the ground floor of many CBD buildings any more, because in many buildings stairwells are kept as fire escapes and the main mode of going up and down is via lifts, and when they press a button nothing happens. At airports they have to deal with the hassle of not being able to be scanned. Their communications suffer because the phone was invented, and then the mobile phone, and then the smart phone, so they're playing Telephone using ghouls or sending physical messengers because they can't contact people themselves like the other clans can, and so can't transmit messages as quickly. They can't even walk through a fucking automatic door!

A few years ago I had severe gastritis and had to mourn my previous able bodiedness after having just got a diagnosis for ADHD and feeling on top of the world because it was getting treated. So the Lasombra watching themselves going from being such a powerful clan to losing the ability to do so many things they used to take for granted... that's something I relate to. Strongly. And it's such a shame that I don't see that loss and grieving explored in canon, like, at all.

And it's also a kind of poetic justice -- they're the social Darwinist clan. Social Darwinists never see social bonds as the real asset it is, only a weakness. And now the Lasombra are increasingly disabled, they're also increasingly forced to rely on others to do things that other clans take for granted.

Pokemon:

These pokemon are all pokemon who ended up being favourites in the various pokemon games I played. As in, they stayed in my main party of 6 pretty much permanently while I might have rotated others in and out. I don't actually have anything to say about any of these, so I'll just share the list!

5. Sylveon

4. Skarmory

3. Breloom

2. Trubbish

Umbreon

#Dusty talks #VTM #Pokemon #Lasombra #cbf to tag the other clans but I might want to dig up what I said about them later

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inoceaned · 3 years

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To the people who protested I have a genuine question for you, don’t you think that if you wore face masks and socially distanced yourselves from others that more Australians would have supported your cause?

Because the moment thousands of protestors cram themselves together during an outbreak without any safety measures just shows a complete disregard for human life.

Please stop saying you want “freedom” and to “unite” Australia if you clearly don’t care about all Australians, you do not respect all Australian lives.

Did you forget about the Australians who have died from Covid, or the Australian families who have lost loved ones because of Covid, or the Australians who are immunocompromised, or the ageing or elderly Australians?

Your lack of using face masks or encouraging others to implement simple safety measures, in my opinion, is a big fuck you to the millions of Australians you seem to have forgotten about during your protest (or you simply don’t care about the rest of Australia and only yourself). It’s a big fuck you to all the health care workers and all of the Covid patients who have been in hospital fighting for their lives in ICU trying to breathe. It’s a big fuck you to those who recovered from Covid but will live with damaged lungs and varying lung conditions.

We know that millions are financially struggling and are just trying to live. Australians have lost homes, jobs, their businesses, or even loved ones to suicide. The constant financial stressors and job insecurities we have to face every day has also had a detrimental impact on mental health. I hear you and I understand. I am sorry for what you, and we, have gone through. I know that it seems almost impossible for some people to remain hopeful about a future when you feel forgotten or ignored by your leaders.

And again, in my opinion, when you protest during an outbreak without respecting the safety of all Australians, people will not listen to your cause. Because it looks like you don’t care about them and only yourself. It is not about you. I can understand some of the reasoning behind the protestors but you went around it the wrong way.

Most people value doing things for the greater good and making decisions that benefit the majority of people. I acknowledge that the lockdowns had almost unforgiving consequences on some individuals and businesses, but the lives of ALL Australians come first. Wearing a mask serves the purpose of protecting others. No one has ever said that wearing a mask prevents you from getting Covid, but it stops you from spreading it to others. If you don’t wear a mask because it is too uncomfortable or is an inconvenience for you, then you are selfish. This is not about you. And it never will be.

I just don’t think that the protestors went about the protest the right way. When you verbally and physically attack people because you disagree about something, you will not create change; you are only creating more of a divide. You will only make the rest of Australia more frustrated and angry. Angry at you. The protest looked like (and I repeat, from the lack of masks and social distancing) that you only care about yourself and you are protesting for selfish reasons (whether you were or weren’t). Your lack of care about the safety of others while protesting during the outbreak of a more infectious strain of the virus does not encourage people to support you or respond positively to the protest itself.

And finally, my unpopular opinion. If you were protesting for selfish reasons and you truly don’t care about the health of others then I have to say it… maybe Australia isn’t the place for you. Maybe you should consider moving to a country where it is survival of the fittest during the global Covid pandemic, and that’s okay. Different countries value different things and often it’s citizens will share common values. Cultural and social values do vary in different countries. So, maybe you could consider seeing which country aligns best with your values. If you continue to maintain these survival of the fittest values and don’t want to move, then you have to compromise, because Australia values the safety of everyone during a pandemic. Australia is a country that wants to protect all individuals from getting the virus and if you don’t agree with that then that is okay. There are other countries that align with your opinion.

And if you do move to another country, what will you do you in the moment that you, your mother or father, brother, sister, child or friend is dying and your country turns their back on you and won’t help, will you come crawling back to the country that was trying to protect you and everyone else all along? Or will you be accept their value of survival of the fittest? If you don’t accept the survival of the fittest notion for yourself but don’t care if others die and you protested without using safety precautions then guess what, you are a selfish person and only care about yourself. Or to put it the Aussie way, you’re a shit cunt.

The reason we had lockdowns in the first place was to protect everyone. Australia went into lockdowns to stop spreading the virus around and to protect all of its citizens. The lockdowns didn’t want anyone getting the virus or risk the deaths of any Australians. We are lucky that we went into lockdown soon after Covid hit Australia as we had minimal deaths compared to other countries. The government wanted to stop the spread and majority of us did too. We protected one another.

Now whether the lockdowns continue to be the best solution today is another conversation but I would encourage you to contact your local government representatives, and most importantly vote.

I am always open to hearing other people’s perspectives and if you made it this far, cheers, have a good one.

#melbournelockdown #sydney lockdown #australia lockdown #covid 19 #corona pandemic #covid pandemic #stay home #do the right thing

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getseriouser · 6 years

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20 THOUGHTS: Deck the Hall, his jokes are folly

RIGHT, well, been some sort of seven days.

The highs of celebrating one of the most exciting players in our generation giving up the game suddenly midseason, through to an awful piece of radio causing nothing but further grief in its wake

The footy is pretty good as well, or is it, because we’re changing the whole game so much it will resemble bat tennis come the end of the year are we not?

Lots to get into, all this redundant intro is just holding back the inevitable..

1. Let us start with the infamous Barry Hall joke last week. This will be of no surprise to most of you. Firstly, Barry’s comments, yeah not funny, came from nowhere. Yes, Liz Ellis, from nowhere, but we’ll get to you soon Liz let me assure you!

The background I want to touch on first is that Erinn’s pregnancy has often been discussed on Triple M when Leigh has been on air. On numerous occasions the radio has got Erinn on the air for a quick chat, and last Friday again was no exception. Leigh has shared some of his biggest moments on air with the listeners, from the calamity of their wedding plans on the breakfast show through to updates with the Erinn and the baby’s progress as he joined the football team this year.

2. Next is that, and we don’t need to address Barry, he had a shocker, we know this, but Leigh was asked by Mark Howard first for the latest ‘milestone’ if you like in the lead up to the big day, to which the sweep indeed had happened just that day, and for those who care to realise, it was then Nathan Brown who then took it up to the cliff’s edge. Mark Howard opened the bowling by asking Leigh “have you had the old stretch”, Leigh at one point then said, “I can’t really explain it…” either unsure or uncomfortable, and then old Browny really got the wheels in motion by “explain it, talk about your wife’s sweep, go on…” and so he did, apologised on the run for being so honest about it, Barry then went with his zinger, and here we now are.

3. Barry doesn’t make the joke nothing is even mentioned. That’s the truth. Leigh has copped it since for his explanation, his description. Two things, not only was the way Leigh described it honest if somewhat off the cuff, but to be real it is what that procedure is – it need not be taboo. Sure, others may have found it uncomfortable (Leigh’s comments, not Barry, we aren’t touching on Barry today), but to suggest Leigh is at fault for what brought this all to a head in the first place, which is Hall’s joke, if you can even call it a joke, is farcical.

4. And before we take aim at some individuals to end this topic, can I just say, some perspective please, for all those who enjoy being offended, and seek offense out so they can proclaim they are offended – little Noah arrived Sunday, he is a gem, he is a little star and maybe one day he’ll pull on his dad’s red, white and black and may he never know about a stupid fallout to some dumb radio only a couple days before his arrival.

5. Ok, so, who’s first up for a lashing. Liz. Right. So she went national on her Sunday morning TV spot, and she’s accruing some poor form in this area, by having a whack at Leigh for talking about his wife. Yes, Triple M, its culture, its style, up for conjecture, no doubt. But as I’ve touched on, Erinn was on the radio herself, and then for Howard and Brown spurring the conversation on, if you’re going to whack Leigh for a moronic link between his comments warranting Hall’s brainfade, then you have to go back a further step – if Leigh wasn’t asked, he wouldn’t have said a thing, and I’d be probably talking about Ross Lyon at this point or something. If we’re going to talk about sanctioning people for being silly on a national broadcast, I’m sure there’s a candidate in the mirror at home, Liz.

6. Now onto my new mate Darren Levin. I don’t know him, he mustn’t be that important. Nor am I, granted, but still nor is he. But I like two of his tweets from last Friday. I’ll give you the second one first, which is “I’ve listened to the Triple M audio and *everyone* should be sacked. Why were they even talking about it in the first place?”. Wow, ok, settle down. But only minutes earlier he tweeted, “CAN SOMEONE PLS TELL ME WHAT HE SAID? IT’S KILLLLLLING ME”. Now Darren. No. We aren’t sacking everyone, don’t be so alarmist. But if you’re going to be so curious and dirty for something that your desperation for the audio is killlllllllllling you, then you’ve got larger issues mate. I do hope you can find a way out of this sadness. Best wishes.

7. And lastly, Grant Thomas. Now mate, Grant, old wobblearse Thommo. Let’s go the the audio:

“I am a big fan of Leigh’s but I think Joey should resign. I wouldn’t sack them, that’s the easy way out. Because one man’s been sacked I would think hang on I was actually culpable in this and if it hadn’t have been for my stupidity poor old Barry wouldn’t have said what he said. It’s at least his responsibility to suspend himself for a period of time to make a statement.”

Facts are important here, and clearly the failed Saints ex-coach has gone large on his former player not knowing or caring for the facts. Thommo has form on Twitter and his podcast, deliberately being controversial to spike an interest from the public he otherwise wouldn’t have. Perhaps he suffered a bad head knock from one of his chins when one day he was far too vigorous when nodding. Who knows.

8. I’m happy to move on.

9. State of the game, this one continues to infuriate. Kinda feel like this year’s premiership race is just getting in the way, the sooner the season ends the sooner we can all preach at the church of reform and the summit to work out the gazillion rule changes to save the sport from certain doom can take place. Um. Do we need to send Guide Dogs Australia down to Town Hall? With the return of a nine-game round after the byes period, last week we had, and let’s be balanced here, Thursday night, cracker, Friday night, belter, all four Saturday games meandered between just fine to really engaging tight games, Sunday gave us one lopsided upset but a high scoring spectacle and a two-point thriller. Steve Hocking, yes you man, baby, bathwater, don’t do it mate, step back from the ledge.

10. Whilst we’re on mistakes, Susan Alberti. Not her, she’s lovely no doubt, even if she does make a right mess of security doing their jobs, especially when they wouldn’t know her from any other AFLW spectator, but she’s been awarded Victorian of the Year. And well done to her for all the work she does. But how has Neale Daniher, in all the years since he started his crusade, miss out on being awarded Victorian of the Year? Mike Brady got it last year. Yes, the ‘Up There Cazaly’ guy. Yet Neale is overlooked. Who’s in charge? Sir James Gobbo I hear is the chair or something of the Victoria Day council. Now Gobbo. Fix it. Neale’s a legend. Don’t go past Go, don’t collect $200, Gobbo, just fix it.

11. Who else? Gary Ablett and Patrick Dangerfield. Yep, not good enough. I think they’ve been getting tips off Zali Stegall. Downhill skiers the lot of them. Numerous passages of play against the Dogs where they’d get into a strong sprint when they had possession, but, turnover, the Bulldogs player that was chasing them, turns and burns, ends up being part of the scoring chain uncontested whilst the Brownlow medallists are sauntering miles back assuming one of the non-Brownlow medallists will do their dirty work for them. Lazy? Selfish? Dunno, you chose your own adjective. Chose all of them if you like, don’t let me pressure you Nathan Brown style.

12. Melbourne footy club. Hmm. Let’s not worry about which parcel of Yarra Park land you want to train on, how about just screw your heads on and don’t let St Kilda embarrass you on your home ground. The Saints had no right to escape from a loss to the Gold Coast, yet made you all look like fruits, stewed fruits. I have no idea of the analogy here, other than to say I’m reasonably confident stewed fruits don’t make the finals, and you did it last year Demons, go on, lose the unlosable finals spot again, it would be as the kids say ‘so lit’.

13. We mentioned the Suns, which players have the Gold Coast improved? Jack Martin was supposed to be a gun, he isn’t, Ainsworth's played 27 games but so what, Touk Miller is at 74 games but wouldn't get a gig for North Ballarat, David Swallow's had injuries, so we'll give him that, Aaron Hall has played 100 games but we'd forgotten about him, then there's Day, Lonergan, Sexton, even Peter Wright doesn’t scare anyone at 44 games. Jarryd Lyons may be the only improved player on their list. Don’t give them concessions, you can give them an all-star team, the issue is that talent dissipates once it lands at Coolangatta airport. The Logies were ok in Melbourne, goes up to the Gold Coast, looks like a Channel 31 production. The Gold Logie winner doesn’t even have a show. Staggering.

14. Quick change of sports but I’ve got my back up and I’m running downhill with the wind – so Aaron Finch is in form is he? An 84, 68* and 172 in his last three matches, all in twenty 20s. The Aussies more broadly, two big wins from two in the Zimbabwe T20 tri-series. Hang on. No. Who the hell cares about some T20 games in Zimbabwe in July when there's a 50-over World Cup 12 months from now and in the most recent series of that format, in England, five minutes ago, we got sodomised five nil. Don't want to hear about how Finchy or the rest of the team looks great in a hit and giggle in Harare, it’s like if old mate brought a high-pressure hose to Hiroshima in August 1945 saying a quick rinse is all this place needs. Don’t wanna hear about it Finchy, get some runs in a longer format and I’ll reconsider.

15. Oh, do we want to mention the nation of the Philippines before we get onto some other stuff? How Chris Goulding walks away with only some bruises from a dozen men punching, kicking, stomping, hitting him with chairs, is so fortunate. But, obviously the Philippine basketballers can fight as well as they can play basketball. Right mugs the lot of them. But if you’re stuck in an alleyway between confronting an angry Filipino basketballer or a sleepy field mouse, I’d be running away from the field mouse, their teeth are surprisingly sharp.

16. Cyril. How’d you get this far down the list champion? So his Dad had heart issues I believe last year (I’ll stand corrected in case I get a call from Liz Ellis), and basically, unlike Dayne Beams who could get a trade to a new club based in the city where his ailing Dad resides, Cyril’s old man lives in Darwin, and if Tassie can’t get a team yet, then Darwin is way behind them. So, for a player who has always said he wouldn’t be a league footballer too long after turning 30 (he is a couple weeks shy of turning 29), ‘Junior Boy’ has called it a day a year or two early to be around his family. He was this close to doing this last offseason, Shaun Burgoyne essentially twisted his arm to go one more year, a knee injury and then officially putting a line through it now brings us to here.

17. We’ve all seen the record the last couple of days, but four premierships, one of six in that famous dynasty to be a part of all of them (Burgoyne has four, but one was at Port). Three All-Australians, don’t forget the Norm Smith in 2015, but that he was also so influential in turning the game in the ’08 granny as a teenager. For freakish, athletic ability, be it leaping, tackling, borking, sprinting, unparalleled in our time.

18. Want to give a shout out to the Tiwi Islands. A series of many islands, two larger ones though, Melville and Bathurst Islands, about 1000 people each. Melville Island though, tiny, tiny place, yet it has produced 3 Norm Smith medallists out of the 37 to receive the award: Cyril in 2015, Michael Long in 1993, and Cyril’s uncle Maurice in 1982. Not only from the same island, but the same family to boot.

19. On that family, Maurice Rioli, South Fremantle and Richmond superstar of the 1980s, uncle to Cyril, great uncle to Daniel, his son, Maurice Jr, he would be the 2020 draft but already playing cracking senior footy for St Mary's in the NT as a teenager. Will be a gun first round father son pick to Richmond or Fremantle and the lineage will continue. His cousin Willie also, looking fairly good for the Eagles too, who is Ronnie Burns cousin on his mother's side as well. What a family!

20. Lastly, World Cup, I’m as confident that Vladimir Putin had a hand in ‘organising’ the five-nil result for the hosts against Saudi Arabia as I am Liz Ellis having another shocker this Sunday morning on the telly. So all this talk of “its coming home” from those with bad teeth and confused by the concept of the shower, the fact that it’s merely Sweden and then Croatia in the way to a first World Cup final since 1966, don’t underestimate the nerve, or is that nerve agent, of the Russian leader. Golden Boot nominees to this point:

Kane, Mbappe, Putin.

(originally published 5 July)

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